Over 60,000 Run from Sudanese City Following Seizure by RSF Militia, United Nations Says

Displaced people escaping conflict in the region
Numerous are trying to get to the town of Tawila but encounter harassment, extortion and abuse from fighters during their journey

Per the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 civilians have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend.

Accounts suggest multiple executions and crimes against humanity as militia members took control of the city following an extended encirclement featuring food shortages and sustained attacks.

The movement of those escaping the fighting towards the community of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had grown in the last several days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

They were describing terrible tales of abuses, including rape, and the humanitarian group was having trouble to find sufficient housing and supplies for them.

All children was experiencing malnutrition, she noted.

It is estimated that over 150,000 individuals are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining bastion in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has denied broad accusations that the deaths in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a practice of the Arab militia groups attacking non-Arab communities.

Nevertheless the paramilitary group has detained one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions.

The force shared footage revealing the militiaman's apprehension subsequent to confirmation that he was responsible for the killing of multiple unarmed men near el-Fasher.

Digital platform has confirmed that it has suspended the channel connected to Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had operated the account in his name.

Sudan was thrown into a internal conflict in April 2023 after a brutal power struggle began between its military and the RSF.

It has caused a famine and accusations of genocide in the western Sudan.

In excess of 150,000 persons have been killed in the war throughout the country, and roughly 12 million have abandoned their dwellings in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian crisis.

The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of the western region and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.

The two warring rivals had been collaborators - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed plan to transition to civilian leadership.

Mary Lowe
Mary Lowe

A forward-thinking tech enthusiast and writer, passionate about AI ethics and emerging technologies, with a background in software development and digital strategy.